Media Release: Tuscola (NC) vs. Pisgah (NC)

October 14, 2015

Waynesville, NC: Oct. 9, 2015 – The Great American Rivalry Series is proud to announce that it will feature the famed North Carolina rivalry game known locally as “The Haywood County Championship” between the Pisgah Black Bears and the Tuscola Mountaineers on October 16 in the Series’ ninth weekend of games for 2015. The Great American Rivalry Series will be featuring this game as a LIVE BROADCAST on the Great American Rivalry Series broadcast network, beginning at 7 PM EST (BROADCAST LINK HERE) and it will be presented by the United States Marine Corps at C.E. Weatherby Stadium. Featuring some of the longest running rivalries in high school football, the 2015 Great American Rivalry Series will feature 100 showdowns nationwide. All of these great games come with great football, hard earned sweat and a heavy dose of hometown pride.

For the 12th year, the Great American Rivalry Series has selected an exclusive collection of top-notch rivalries across the country, covering 40 states and over 100 cities throughout the country. Wrapped in tradition, these annual battles excite entire communities, while celebrating the schools, their teams, and their fans. We Know Friday NightsTM

Considered to be one of the best known and fiercest rivalries in the southeastern United States, the “Haywood County Championship” will kick off the 51st meeting since 1966 between the Black Bears and the Mountaineers. Dominated by the Black Bears in the early years of the series, Tuscola came back and took 10 straight wins from 1978 to 1987 and then the teams balanced out over the next two decades with Pisgah hammering Tuscola 56-10 in 2006, which was the largest margin of victory in the series history. In 2013 Pisgah moved up to a 3A classification in North Carolina and thus joined the Mountaineers making the rivalry stakes even more intense. Currently, the series is evenly matched with Tuscola leading 26-24-1 and Pisgah bringing in a 2 game win streak. Both teams will come ready to battle big time at Weatherby Stadium this year.

The winning team will take home the Great American Rivalry Series Champions trophy, presented by the Marines. The game’s Most Valuable Player and the top student-athlete from each school are also recognized as part of the Series. Along with these awards, an alumnus from each school will be inducted into the 12th class of the Great American Rivalry Series Hall of Fame.

You can find more information at GreatAmericanRivalry.com or through the Series’ Twitter (@AmericanRivalry), Facebook, YouTube and Instagram accounts. Previews and past results will be posted throughout the season with details of the teams and the history of the rivalries, and after the game. Fans can relive the excitement with photo galleries and game recaps.

SOCIAL MEDIA

Fans can add to the intensity of the rivalry via Twitter, Facebook, Instagram using #GreatAmericanRivalry. The Rivalry can also be found on Pinterest (AmericanRivalry) and YouTube. Fan photos posted with this hashtag may be featured on the Great American Rivalry Series website’s new Fan Photo Gallery, Pinterest Page and promoted via our other social media outlets.

What is the Great American Rivalry Series?

Each fall for over a century, high school football has been the centerpiece for families and communities on Friday night. In 2004, iHigh, Inc. created the Great American Rivalry Series to celebrate this uniquely American sport and the cultural phenomenon of “Friday Night in America.” The Series shines the spotlight on top high school football rivalries across the nation, where long-standing traditions are valued, expectations are sky high, and followers are committed.